From the Muslim World, Big Donations to American Colleges
Some years ago, Stanley Kurtz took a hard look at the reporting of foreign gifts to American universities, at a time when he was concerned that Title VI Sec. 1011f might be gutted by a democratic House. (20 USC 1011-Sec. 1011f requires colleges and universities to disclose foreign donations and contracts valued at $250,000 or more, and the Department of Education annually posts them online on its website.) He offered some sound warnings about not tarring all those gifts or recipients as improper while calling for vigilance about the possibility of undue influence on these institutions by the vast sums of foreign — largely Arab — funding.
On March 25, we revisited the issue, suggesting that universities should adopt a code of conduct that requires professors who are the recipients of such grants, or working under contract with outside donors, to disclose that information in public fora.
In mid-April of this year, the Department of Education completed its update of the report of the foreign gifts to American colleges and universities and published it a few days ago. The report is cumulative dating back to 1995 when Congress required the accumulation and publication of such data.
Our latest search combed the records from 2007 to the latest report, looking at all gifts from the Middle East, Malaysia, and Indonesia (predominantly Muslim countries) which totaled $50,000 or more, and all contracts involving these countries which were in excess of $5 million. Reviewing the record, there have been eleven gifts or contracts which met those criteria from Arab states to American universities from June 2010 to mid-April and none from Indonesia or Malaysia.
In this time frame, we also found no gifts from Kuwait or Jordan. Princeton, Cornell, and Johns Hopkins reported no such contracts or gifts. Nor did the University of Texas. The totals do not include endowments made prior to the period of our search, though they may still be funding professorships and other university personnel and functions.
The largest donor in this tranche is the Qatar Foundation. The largest recipient remains Georgetown University. I have asked the Qatar Embassy to make a spokesman available to me so that I can ask what the Foundation determines are the benefits to it and to the American universities of the Foundation relationship, but have not yet heard back. Without further research and data it would appear that Qatar is spending a great deal to jumpstart its educational program and, in essence, is purchasing intellectual capital from the universities and colleges with which it contracts. This is not as unusual as it may appear. I myself have worked on a similar arrangement for a k-12 school abroad. Developing curricula, hiring the appropriate faculty, and getting the necessary equipment and accreditations can be a long and difficult process which can be shortened considerably in this way. Still, it is not hard to imagine that such vast sums of money are buying some influential academic friends or muting some justified criticism — or, at a minimum, distorting the institutions’ focus.
The Foundation’s website indicates it has relationships with a variety of American and European colleges:
QF offers branch campuses of eight strategically selected elite international universities, delivering world-class programs chosen to ensure Qatar is equipped with essential skills and specialism [sic]:
• Texas A&M University at Qatar
• Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
• Georgetown University School of Foreign Service
• Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Here’s a breakdown of the gifts and contracts we found in the latest Department of Education report:
Judging by all the suppport Palestinians have on campuses around the country and all of the Israeli or conservative lecturers who are disrupted and shouted down by pro-Palestinian protesters, I think those Arabs donating huge funds to colleges are getting a lot for their money. Yep, the propoganda that’s being taught to our kids today in colleges throughout the country is stunning, so it’s good to know where the money is coming from for all of this indoctrination. And colleges want to charge even more money for tuition?
To all you parents out there who want to send their kids to college, always remember that Bill Gates never finished college. If your kids do go, just make sure that they are well-grounded in facts and that they take everything they hear in school with an armful of salt.
even math?
Only if they stick to math. Then again, unless you’re going to be an engineer or an architect or maybe part of the medical profession, why do you need it? Why not bring back the apprenticeship? Have kids work with specialists in a field that does NOT require math and, when they learn that profession, have them take state or federal exams to see if they know their jobs? May be a way for people to get practical experience while learning their trade.
We are in a multi-front war with Islam. Let’s be honest.
It’s naive to view Islam as one big monolith.
You have Imperialist Islam like Iran who wants to control other Muslim countries.
You have Tactical Islam like al Qaeda who want to destroy the infidels for a political or religious reasons. They destroy and move on.
You have Evangelical Islam like the Whahabists who want to plant radical Mosques around the world to spread fundamental Islam, win converts, and spread Sharia law.
You now have Socialist Islam. It’s a strange blend of radical socialists with Islam. It’s main goal is to use political tactics to isolate the Muslim world from the Capitalist West. You are seeing this in Egypt.
These are just the obvious ones. The end game is the same: a world under the complete control of 1 or more Muslim countries or a Caliphate, if you will.
One curious feature, and one that is helpful to us because it takes some of the focus of enemy Islamists away from us, is how often and how furiously the Muslim factions are at war with each other, the Muslim populations at war with their tyrannical governments, for example.
Where have you been? This has been the case for decades. While you are at it, check out all the Middle East money flowing to the mainstream media.
I am also sure that middle east money is financing the campaigns of many big name politicians. This easily explains the stupidity of our government when it comes to the so-called Religion of Peace!
Bill Clinton for Calif–at last he’ll permenantly top Hillery.
So Texas A&M, Cornell etc. have branches in Qatar & we are accusing the Qatarese of infiltrating us?
You sound like a Muslim apologist. Much like the Nazi apologists of the 1930′s.
That’s me, Mr. Muslim Apologist.
You sound like someone who can’t refute a fact.
Your statement was absolutely stupid. Trying to draw an eqivalence between the two.
At least we are not actively trying to overthrow their way of life. Tool.
It’s well documented that Saudi petro-dollars fund education through-out the world. And it is also known that Madrassas (Arab-schools)are the main source of radical Islam. In America the two areas of focus for Islamic recruitment is Universities and prisons, because both institutions offer so much in the way of willing souls and minds. In the prisons, the wardens and guards don’t mind a little help with temporary control of violent offenders. And in the universities the Deans and Administrators wouldn’t dare object to Islamic indoctrination for fear of, losing money, or being thought of as non-progressive.
“…a gift of $6,000,000 from Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia “to support a chair in the Center for Muslim and Christian Understanding.”"
Yes, and their message is, “You Christians…us Muslims are taking over. Understand?!”
Purdue has been attracting a large number of international students for many years; are there similar donations from other countries’ Boilermaker alumni? These might be “scary” donations, but they might also just be the result of a successful fund drive.
Never Look A Gifthorse in the Mouth OR Know Thine Enemy
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As a beneficiary of Islamic largesse at a “top three” US university’s graduate program, I’d like to reassure you that most of your fears in this regard are ill-founded.
Students studying “Islamic Studies” or the more encompassing “Near Eastern Studies” generally fall into 4 categories:
1. THE TRUE SCHOLAR, steeped in ancient languages and literatures and specializing in arcane historical or linguistic fields with absolutely no interest in the “modern Middle East”. (Your true “nerd”). I’d say this category comprises about 75% of the NEL students. Very often Jewish.
2. THE FUTURE DIPLOMAT (BUSINESSMAN), with little interest in the medieval or pre-medieval Middle East. Mostly interested in the modern Middle East and the modern languages as they relate to the modern media and so on. No interest in the actual “literature” in this field, either contemporary or ancient. (A lot of “drop-outs” here).
3. THE MODERN “LIBERATED” ARAB, who comes to America (or Europe) to pursue a career in the field. Often Palestinian in background or Trans-Jordanian….the Levant, so to speak. Usually rabidly anti-Western (Tariq Ramadan is an example of this type). Definitely has an “agenda” (and you know what that means). Years ago, this type was rare but is now quite common and have, to a large degree, come to dominate the field in one way or another.
(When I meet one of these, I like to point out that it’s strange that they had to come to the WEST to study Islamic Studies. Why not pursue this field in their own countries? After all, anyone interested in Shakespearean studies would not go to Cairo or Beirut….or Riyadh to study. There’s a reason for this, of course, but that’s really another involved subject which I won’t address here).
4. THE MODERN INTERNATIONAL AMERICAN, who sees the Islamic threat for what it is and feels he must contribute to the American cause as best he can. Generally adept at several fields within the subject but not really interested in any one particular phase. He has an “agenda” too, quite different from #3 above.
My point is this. It is not really correct to believe that the “Islamic largesse” flowing into American universities is “brainwashing” the youth of America to the Islamic cause. In fact, just the opposite is what is really happening. Naturally, the donors may believe just the opposite is happening, but take it from me, that’s not the case.
Bring it on, I say. We are arming ourselves to counter any Islamic takeover of the West. It’s just a matter of time until the fruits of this bounty will really show its mettle.
Thanks for the sanity.
Why then American college students seem to be so naive about the threat of the Islamists and so anti-Irael?
Why then American college students seem to be so naive about the threat of the Islamists and so anti-Irael? ?
Oh I have already picked out the burka for my wife, got my little whip to beat her when she fights having sex and a pile of stones in the backyard to stone her. I have only one problem, I believe women are smarter than men, GOD made women equal with men, oh and I all so believe in this guy named Jesus! Okay so I have more than one problem with Islam, I can think for myself and GOD lets me think!
God? Jesus? Islam? Burka? Gee….how…..quaint.
The muslims have figured out that most “elite” americans are whores; that the god of the West is money;that political power can be bought.They are behaving accordingly,proving that the usa and the west are terminally corrupt.
Gee, Mr. Deguello, that’s quite a profound analysis of the situation. Absolutely brilliant. I’m sure your comment will receive the wide-spread readership it deserves.
The name of the game is energy independence–and dirt cheap energy. The USA could get both with thorium…
OT:
Thorium, US energy independence and Obama´s Sputnik moment
By Coach Collins, on May 17th, 2011
When stacked up against the energy costs associated with various sources, thorium is stunning. One lb. of Thorium according to Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia is equal to 200 lbs. of uranium, or a breathtaking 3.5 million lbs. of coal.
Fuel costs for thorium are a tiny $0.00004/kWh versus coal and natural gas at less than 10 cents/kWh; conventional nuclear at approximately 10 cents /kWh; wind appx. 14 cents /kWh; solar thermal about 26 cents/kWh and solar photovoltaic a hefty 40 cents/kWh.
The U.S.G.S.’ estimate of 915,000 tons of high quality thorium ore (just considering holdings in Idaho and Montana) establish the U.S. as arguably the #1 thorium holding nation in the world.
Now if Obama is known for anything it is for his majestic non-sequiturs. His 2011 State of the Union proves the point. He stated: ” At stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country, or somewhere else. It’s whether the hard work and industry of our people is rewarded.” Later on, he claimed “This is our generation’s Sputnik moment”.
While Obama curiously mentioned Oak Ridge in his address he did so highlighting efforts to basically tweak existing nuclear technology and ignored thorium reactors and the (if I can plagiarize his speech a bit) hard work and industry of our people (plus the millions of dollars already spent) to develop them.
Obama also seems to be oblivious to the fact that a Chinese delegation visited Oak Ridge in the autumn of 2010 and expressed interest in thorium fuel to scientists there. America’s economic crisis demands a quantum reduction in energy generation costs through thorium based power and the spectacular job creating dynamics these massive savings entail.
Following up, no doubt, on their visit to Oak Ridge, the Chinese announced within days of Obama’s 2011 State of the Union Address that they intend to not only develop a research & development effort to create molten salt thorium reactors, but also to develop and control intellectual property rights to thorium for their own advantage! The Sputnik moment indeed has arrived.
http://www.coachisright.com/thorium-us-energy-independence-and-obama%C2%B4s-sputnik-moment/#
Another “pie in the sky” fantasy to wean the USA away from foreign oil dependence.
The only way to achieve “energy independence”, is to order the oil producing “countries” to lower the price of oil to about $1 or $2 above production costs. Lemme repeat this: you have to order them to do this.
If they refuse, then we simply concoct a reason to take over the oil fields. This can easily be achieved in like about a week, no questions asked…..and none accepted. Iran, for example, can be goaded to invade some of the Gulf “states” and then we enter the fray as a “humanitarian gesture” and remain put in order to keep the region “stable”.
It eventually will come to this in any case. It’s simply a matter of time, no matter how far-fetched this scenario may seem now.